Feeding mechanism for automatic guns



Dec. 2, 1947. D. w. MOLINS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Nov. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1947- V D. w. MOLINS 2,431,955

I FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Nov. 23, 194 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fivenzaf 6% 6,. 4 mm mm a 1w 1% Patented Dec. 2, 1947 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Desmond Walter Molins, London, England, as-

signor to Molins Machine Company Limited,

London, England Application November 23, 1943, Serial No. 511,455 In Great Britain November 23, 1942 This invention-concerns improvements in or relating to ordnance, and refers particularly to 3 Claims. (Cl. 8933) that kind of ordnance in which rounds are fed automatically to the gun from a receptacle and are thereafter fired automatically. For convenience, ordnance of this kind will be referred to as g The specification of co-pending United States patent application Serial No. 488,454, filed May 25, 1943, nOW Patent No. 2,418,656, issued April 8, 1947, describes an automatic gun of this kind, in which a round being fed from a receptacle is moved into position at which the base of the round is engaged by a rammer, while the front portion of the round is pushed downwardly on to the top of the breech-block. In this arrangement a yielding cushioning lever is provided to break the fall of the front portion of the round, which moves over to one side of the breech guide down which it slides to the curved top of the breech-block.

For convenience, the front portion of the round will be referred to herein as the nose of the round.

It is found, however, that when the nose of the round is fed down rapidly in this way, there is sometimes a tendency for it to slide too far around the curved top of the breech-block, with the result that when the rammer moves forwardly, the

nose of the round has not come completely to rest or is not correctly aligned with the breech.

A further difficulty which is sometimes experienced when feeding rounds having long, finely tapering noses, is that the nose of the round, which is resting on the curved top .of the breechblock when the rammer moves forward, does not enter the breech, owing to the fact that the tip of the nose tends to jam in the angle formed by the face of the breech and the top of the breech-block. I

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these objections, by provision of means whereby the nose of a round may be correctly aligned with the breech, and may be free to enter the breech, irrespectiveof the particular shape of the nose.

According to the present invention there is provided in feeding mechanism for an automatic gun, a support for the nose of a round about to be fed to the breech of the gun, saidsupportfbeing adapted to yield on forward movement ofthe round, in such a, manner as to permit the nose of the round to drop.

The yieldable support may comprise a pivoted member adapted to press the nose of the round laterally against a reaction surface and capable of being swung resiliently in a plane parallel to the gun barrel and trunnion axes, the arrangement being such that when the round is moved forward, the pivoted member is swung forwardly by reason of the frictional grip of the support and the reaction surface on the nose of the round. The pivoted member may be adapted to yield downwardly under the weight of the nose of a round, to cushion the fall of the nose of the round, and may be yieldingly held against both downward and pivotal movement by means of a coil spring.

Mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the breech of a gun showing the application of the invention thereto. For convenience the parts constructed according to the invention and a few parts to which they are attached, are shown in heavy lines while the normal breech mechanism is shown in fine lines.

Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the construction is shown as applied to the gun described and shown in the specification of the aforementioned United States patent application Serial No. 488,454, and a reference to Figures 5 and 7 of said specifica tion render it unnecessary to show the whole gun herein, particularly since the present invention is concerned with only a part. In the gun to which the invention is shown applied, there is a receptacle or magazine from which rounds are moved into the feeding position by the mechanism described and illustrated in the prior specification. A pivoted catch is provided to support therear portion of a round which has just left the receptacle, and to maintain it in a position to be engaged by the rammer. This pivoted catch is adapted to be swung out of engagement with the round by the forward movement of the rammer when the rammer has gripped the base of the round.

A reciprocating member is provided for thrusting the nose of a, round downwardly. All the mechanism referred to above is described indetail in the specification referred to.

The axis of the gun barrel is indicated in some of the views by the reference CG and rounds ar indicated by the reference R.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there are disposed in the path of the nose N of round as it descends, two support members I and 2, one fixed and one movable. The movable support 2 is shown as a pivoted member and so arranged as to be capable of swinging horizontally in a forward direction. The pivoted member comprises a vertical plate fixed to a vertical pivot-post 3, which is rotatable and axially islidable "in .a bracket 6. The "pivot-post 3 is provided with 'a coil spring 1, the arrangement being such that the action of the coil spring tends to hold the pivoted member against forward pivotal .motion. For this purpose the spring is formed as a tor sion spring, and the member is held in the full line position Figure 2 against .the twist oif :the spring by an abutment 8 onithezbraoket :6. The pivot post and pivoted member are also capable of moving downwardly for a limited distance against the pressure of the coil spr "L'a stop-'9 on the lower end of the post determining the extent of the upward movement. The pivoted support has one downwardly sloping edge Ill, which ,is arranged to engage "the nose N of a round ,as

it falls. The slope of this .edge is such that the .nose of a.. round as it falls .into engagement with the fixed and movable support members it and I respectively, -becomes firmly wedged between .them. The pivot post "'3 is provided with 'a -projection ll which extends into the path of .an abutment I3 'carr'redby'the sliding breech--bloc'k 5 .of the gun, :the projection being 50 arranged that it is .engagedby the abutment on the breech- .block (shown closed in Figure 1') when th'ela,t-'

ter moves upwardly. 'This engagement ensures thatthe pivoted membermoves upwardly to its highest position every time and avoids any possibility of stickin The tension of thespring lis adjustable. The adjustment is providedby four holes 1,5 in the lower member of the bracket "6 .andjihe pivot post is slotted at I16 to take the other end .of the spring.

The ,pivotfbracketfi is fixediby the screws shown in Figure .3 to a plate 14 which is bolted 'to the breech ring .4. The plate has other functions not pertinent to the present invention and is :used here merely as a .convenientefixture. The fixed support I comprises apla'te mounted on the side of the breechring' l. 'Thisplate constitutes-aireactionsurface against which the nose is'pressed upwardlyby the movablesupport member.

'The ttwo support members are so disposed in relation 'tothe breech of the gun as to hold the nose of the round shown in chain lines and marked .N, in such a ,position that when the round .is thrust forward by the rammer, the nose ofthe round .will enter the breech.

The operation of the apparatus is .as follows:

Qted member .2 depressin fthe latter against its round with it. The frictional engagement of the round with the pivoted member 2 is sufficient to ensure that as the nose of the round moves forward, the pivoted member is swung forwardly, see Figure 2. Thepivoted member is thus moved out of engagement with the nose-of .the round, permit- -tingthe round to drop freely.

Continued movement of the rammer thrusts the round, which finally assumes the position .shownin ,Figure 1 where the end of the car- .itridge case is shown by two chain line circles marked R, into the breech, after which the breech is automatically :closed and the round fired, all iinzthemannerdescribed in the specification referredto.

On upward movement of the breech-block 5 :during-saifd closing movement, the abutment I3 carried'by the breech-block engages the projection H on the pivot post of the movable support, and thus thrusts the movable support upwardly if it has not already been returned by the spring "I. The *pivoted member is thus prevented from remaining in adepressedposition, as it might do .-if-for'any'reason the upward pressure of its coil "spring failed to .move it upwardly to its highest position. "If the pivoted member were to "remain depressed it might -foul the spent ease of the round as it is ejected from the breech after the round "has been, fired, and it 'is to 'prevent this possibility that the arrangement described above is provided.

In this way the pivoted member is moved to a position in which, when the gun is fired and the spent case ejected, the latter passes beneath the pivotedmember in bein ejected.

What "I claim as'my invention and desire .to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Feeding mechanism for an automatic .gun comprising a yieldable pivoted support member and means'having a fixed reaction surface against which said member is adapted impress the nose of a round, said ..rr.ember being mounted for .resilient swinging movement about a vertical axis, the arrangement being such that when the round is moved forward, the .pivoted member is swung ;for wardl y by reason of the frictional grip of the support and the .reactionsurface on thenose of the round. I

2. Feeding mechanism as claimed in .claim 1. wherein thepivotedmember is yieldably mounted to move downwardly under the weight of the nose of a round, to .cushion the fall .of the nose of the round.

3. Feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1., wherein said pivoted member is yieldably mounted to move downwardly .under the weight of .the nose of a round, said resilient swinging mounting and downwardly yieldable mounting comprising a coil spring supporting said member and torsionally =resisting its swinging movement.

.DESMOND WALTER MOLINS.

REFERENCE S 'ClTED .The .following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS .:Number Name Date 549,433 Burkins May 15, 1900 11,525,065 Browning Feb. 3, 1925 

